Plumstone Mountain

Plumstone Mountain is less of a mountain, and more of a broad rounded heather clad hill, capped by a rocky tor of grit-like rock. It’s this summit tor that forms the mountains principle point of interest, and in fact, provides some bouldering problems of surprising quality. The tor takes the form of a relatively square cut mass of rock, which is generally excellent in quality, and yields a mixture of roof problems, arêtes, gritstone laybacks and steep faces. Much of the climbing is overhanging by 10˚ or 20˚, and as a result is fairly powerful. To further add to the spot’s character, all of this activity takes place against the backdrop of a 360˚ sweeping panorama of much of Pembrokeshire's finest landscapes.

Plumstone Mountain is home to only a handful of recognised problems, however, exploration is at an early stage and there is plenty of scope for variation. Despite the diminutive size of the outcrop, there is enough here to keep most boulderers happy for at least a few hours. To get the most out of the area, a visit to the hill could be combined with visits to Poll Carn and Maiden Castle, which have a greater concentration of problems, and are located at Treffgarne just 4km to the east.

Grades are given using the British Technical Grading System which is usually used for rating the crux of trad climbs. The system is great for easy problems (less than 5a), however, above that they start to become too vague and in the higher grades they are hopeless with 6c covering everything from V6 to V10. A grading comparison table is available of Rockfax’s website. Problems are described clockwise, starting on the rock’s eastern face.

This section displays the weather forecast for Letterston, which is located just to the north and is probably the nearest village to Plumstone Mountain. Both locations are at around the same height, however, Plumstone Mountain is more exposed to the area’s climate, and exposure and wind speed can also significantly lower temperatures.

Pembrokeshire's climate is generally pretty good whatever the season, so climbing is possible throughout the year. One advantage of Plumstone Mountain's inland location is that if the weather is a bit rough it may be a good alternative to climbing on the area's sea cliffs, where you will inevitably receive a soaking... or worse.

Although not essential, a bouldering mat is recommended to soften those landings, and of course, you'll also need a chalk bag and a pair of rock shoes.

Take the B4330 from Haverfordwest (SM 954 160) by turning west towards St. David’s at the Morrison’s supermarket roundabout, cross the river and turn north at the next roundabout (SM 952 159) which is signposted Croes-goch (SM 828 302). After about 5 miles you will reach the brow of the hill and a left hand turning (SM 923 235) onto a tarmac road (bridleway) leading to a parking area surrounded by large blocks next to a covered reservoir (SM 918 233).

Plumstone Mountain’s rocks are located only 100m to the west up a broad path.

There’s an almost unlimited supply of accommodation within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park so it would be inappropriate to list it all here. For budget accommodation it’s worth checking out some of the following sites:

Youth Hostel Association in Wales
Independent Hostel Guide
Campsites in Pembrokeshire

For everything else and more see Visit Pembrokeshire’s website.

No red tape or access issues here!

For climbers, hill walkers and mountaineers, the British Mountaineering Council (BMC) runs a Regional Access Database, which holds mountain/crag specific information on matters of conservation and access, including issues such as nesting restrictions, nature designations and preferred parking:

Regional Access Database

If you are in any doubt about any particular access arrangement, or need to report an incident, you should contact your local BMC Access Representative or the BMC Access Officers for Wales: Elfyn Jones.